Local talent on display at holiday bazaars

Tuesday

Dec 3, 2013 at 11:00 AMDec 3, 2013 at 11:00 AM

'Tis the season of holiday bazaars and craft shows.I love to go to these events … even though they make me wish I had the talent to make something.Anything.My dad was a phenomenal woodworker. He couldn't read very well — he was in foster care most of his life and bounced around from home to home, so he had to start working when he was a teenager and dropped out of school before he graduated — but he could make anything just by looking at a picture of it.My daughter and my sister's two kids all have wooden rocking chairs, the backs of which are made to look like teddy bears. My dad died in 2001, so it's a beautiful thing that his three oldest grandchildren (my son came along 10 months after my father passed away) have something their grandfather crafted with his own hands just for them.The only thing my dad had some trouble with was making things in a manageable size. He once made a wooden wishing well for my mom … it's huge. It's still in the side yard, and my mom plants flowers in it every year.My mother-in-law loves lighthouses … so one year for Christmas my father gifted her with a functioning lighthouse replica.It's 6 feet tall.For as long as I can remember my mom has crocheted, and a few years back she took up knitting. She has made metric tons of hats, gloves, sweaters, scarves and afghans. She also weaves baskets.She tried to teach my sister and I to crochet. My sister caught on … I did not. The only thing I could crochet was a chain. My sophomore year in high school I was cast in a school play as an old Jewish woman who spent most of her time crocheting.By the time rehearsals and productions were over, I had made what I can only assume was the longest crocheted chain in the history of the world.Even though I can't make anything myself, I always go to craft shows and festivals to see what other people can make. I like buying from craft vendors because the items are usually one-of-a kind. I also like to support local artisans (I buy mostly jewelry and wearables). I am awed by the talents of the men and women who make such beautiful things.This past weekend I went to the Hillsdale Chamber of Commerce's Holiday Bazaar. I had to walk around the whole bazaar a few times … there were so many vendors and I didn't want to miss anything.I ended up purchasing a knitted hat and mittens set for my daughter. The items had such pretty colors in them … a deep, aqua blue; charcoal gray (which exactly matched the color of my daughter's peacoat), off-white and navy blue. The lady I bought them from had tons of mitten and hat sets in all different colors and patterns as well as racks filled with beautiful scarves.I also bought myself a pair of mittens. I got them from a lady who makes mittens out of old sweaters. She takes a fleece glove and somehow sews the pieces from the sweater around it. The left and right mittens are exactly the same; I'll bet it takes a long time for her to do one set of mittens because she would have to be very meticulous to make sure the mittens matched.I also purchased a soft, fuzzy baby hat that was knitted out of the prettiest pink yarn. I don't have babies, but my daughter's friend does so it's going to her for Christmas. The hat was just so darn cute I couldn't pass it up.Art comes in all forms, and these craft shows and bazaars throughout the year in Branch and Hillsdale counties prove that this area has talent in abundance. I admit I have my favorite brands and designers when it comes to shoes and accessories, but if I can buy something from someone here in my own backyard that's what I'll do every time. It's so cool to be able to actually talk to the people who made something you're buying; to hear them talk about the process and about a craft they love so much.Every time I see my daughter wearing her hat and mittens, I'll remember the conversation I had with the sweet lady who crafted them with her own two hands.So to all of you who make beautiful things that become special gifts, I thank you. I appreciate your willingness to share your talents.Jamie Barrand is the executive editor of The Daily Reporter, Hillsdale Daily News, Bronson Journal and Jonesville Independent. Follow her on Twitter at @editorbarrand.